May 11, 2023 — EssilorLuxottica and Chalhoub Group have signed a joint venture partnership to grow an eyewear retail presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region comprising Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.
 
Through the partnership, the companies intend to shape the eyewear category and achieve new levels of customer service by combining EssilorLuxottica’s industry experience with Chalhoub Group’s understanding of the region.
 
For EssilorLuxottica, the agreement represents another step toward raising the segment’s visibility and standards by increasing consumer engagement with the company’s brand portfolio. A series of mono-brand and multi-brand stores will be launched in the GCC, including the luxury multi-brand eyewear concept David Clulow, which is well-known among Middle Eastern consumers from London, according to EssilorLuxottica.
 
“This move will allow us to complement our existing and deeply rooted network of customers in the region,” says Francesco Milleri, chairman and CEO at EssilorLuxottica. “Leveraging on Chalhoub Group’s extensive knowledge and retail presence in the region, we will raise the visibility and quality of the entire industry and reinvent the omnichannel consumer journey together, resulting in a more engaging retail experience for consumers.”
 
“As we expand into the eyewear category, we are entering a new vertical that has significant potential for growth and innovation with a high demand from our regional luxury consumers,” says Patrick Chalhoub, group president at Chalhoub Group. “EssilorLuxottica is a partner of choice with their fashionable, elegant products, and brand portfolio; their core values of helping people to “see more and be more”, alongside their growth ambition in the GCC region, complements our Group’s purpose to inspire and delight customers.”